The Korea Herald

SIWA to celebrate expat marriage

Expat LivingFeb 14, 2012

Seoul International Women’s Association will hold its monthly coffee morning on “The Triumphs and Tribulations of Being Married to a Korean” on Wednesday.SIWA has invited four non-Koreans with Korean spouses to share their experiences and lead a panel discussion on the intricacies of intercultural, international marriages.The panelists are consulting firm president and governor of the American Chamber of Commerce Steve McKinney, managing editor of 10 Magazine Stephen Revere, educator and counsel
‘Il Mare’ gets free screening

Expat LivingFeb 14, 2012

Itaewon Global Village Center will invite expats to a free screening of “Il Mare” on Feb. 23.The film, “Siweorae” in Korean, is about a man (played by Lee Jung-jae) and a woman (played by Jun Ji-hyun) living in the same apartment but at different times. They discover that they can communicate with each other through a mysterious post box. As they exchange letters, the two develop a relationship.The film, released in 2000, was remade in the U.S. in 2006 as “The Lake House,” starring Keanu Reeves
Orientation for new Seoul expats

Expat LivingFeb 14, 2012

Itaewon Global Village Center will run an orientation session for expats new to Seoul on Feb. 24.The session will introduce services and opportunities available to foreign residents in Seoul and some useful tips. The orientation consists of an informative presentation, a Q&A session and refreshments. Participants will have a kit of brochures, maps and guidebooks to make their lives easier and more enjoyable.The session will be on the fifth floor of the Hannam Building near Itaewon Station and st
A little Manila in Seoul

Expat LivingFeb 14, 2012

At the Filipino market in Seoul’s Hyehwa district, the sound of people asking after each other in Filipino filled the air.“Kumusta kayo?” (How are you?)“Mabuti naman.” (I’m fine.)Lining up along the road between Hyehwa Catholic Church and Dongseong High School, vendors were busy arranging goods, cooking food and greeting each other.The vendors neatly piled up Filipino goods from canned beverages, frozen meat and tropical fruit to jeans and cosmetics. Filipino visitors checked to see if they had
Foundation to build national database on early Korean history

CultureFeb 14, 2012

The Northeast Asian History Foundation, a state-run history research institution, announced on Monday that it will build a national database on Korea’s early kingdoms as well as Dokdo and have it available online by November.According to the foundation the database will feature Korea’s ancient history as well as Dokdo, the rocky islets in the East Sea that the Japanese claim are part of their territory. The database’s Dokdo section will include different types of maps of the islets and the East
Kim appointed as head of Stanton Chase-Korea

PeopleFeb 14, 2012

Stanton Chase-Korea, formerly KK Consulting Inc., has appointed Kim Kuk-kil as chairman. KK Consulting, one of the leading executive search firms in Korea, became a partner firm of Stanton Chase International last month, and changed its company name to Stanton Chase-Korea.“Stanton Chase International is one of the top 10 executive search firms in the world, and the partnership with Stanton Chase will help us provide better services through a global network,” Kim told The Korea Herald.Stanton Cha
Mountaineer Um builds schools in the Himalayas

PeopleFeb 14, 2012

SEOGWIPO, Jeju ― Korea’s foremost mountaineer Um Hong-gil is scaling his 17th summit. The first person to have stood atop the 16 highest points on Earth, including all 14 8,000-meter peaks in the Himalayas, has now taken on the challenge of building schools in remote villages in the Himalayas.“At some point in the process of mastering the 16 peaks, I resolved to return the ‘favor’ given to me by the Himalayas if I survived the climb. I prayed, ‘Please let me live and return,’” Um told The Korea
Soo bahk do ― Korea’s other martial art

Expat LivingFeb 14, 2012

After years of practicing judo and jiujitsu, I became tired of the emphasis they put on competition and brute force. I felt that there was more to martial arts and that the discipline was as much about the mind as the body. Eventually, I was drawn to soo bahk do moo duk kwan. After coming to Korea, I set out to find the central dojang and start my training. I was greeted by a smiling and helpful master Park, with whom I trained my body and mind like never before. I am one of only two foreigners
Seoul City names three honorary vice mayors

PeopleFeb 14, 2012

Three citizens were selected as honorary vice mayors of the Seoul Metropolitan Government on Monday under Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon’s initiative to reflect citizens’ ideas in policy formulation, city officials said Tuesday. Following his motto, “Citizens are the Mayor,” the city government has so far selected citizens to be one-day mayors.This time, the city selected citizens to be messengers for ordinary citizens for a year in unpaid positions. There are three incumbent official vice mayors for
Botox developer rues missing out on billions

HealthFeb 14, 2012

Botox developer Alan Scott says he rues the day he handed over rights to the best-selling wrinkle-smoothing drug to a US company for just $4.5 million, saying he might have become a billionaire. Dr Richard Ellenbogen injects botox into smile wrinkles on the bridge of Perla Pacheco's nose at Beverly
Two Koreas' mountain photos

Expat LivingFeb 14, 2012

Roger Shepherd, founder of HikeKorea.com, will be exhibiting photos taken while he hiked the Baekdu-Daegan range in both South and North Korea from this week.Shepherd is the co-author of “Baekdu Daegan Trail: Hiking Korea’s Mountain Spine,” published in 2010, and has been documenting the range for six years. He took a major step toward the goal of documenting the entire peninsula-spanning range when he visited the North’s portion of the range in late October-early November. This exhibit, lasting
Mediterranean Diet may be healthier for brain

HealthFeb 14, 2012

A customer browses fruit and vegetable goods displayed on a stall. (Bloomberg)The benefits of the popular Mediterranean diet might not just stop at preventing heart disease, dementia and metabolic syndrome, researchers say. A new study suggests eating in Mediterranean style may reduce damage to smal
Halfway through Fashion Week, fierce fitted looks

FashionFeb 13, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) ― It’s time for the well-heeled women who shop from New York Fashion Week runways to pull themselves up by their bootstraps ― preferably Christian Louboutins ― and carry off clothes rooted in strength, confidence and even toughness.Even glamorous Victoria Beckham, rarely seen without stilettos on, sent some of her models down the runway Sunday in motorcycle boots. (They were indeed Louboutins.)The fiercer, fitted looks are a contrast to the flowing, airy silhouettes that dominated
Novelists open new chapter for booming China film industry

BooksFeb 13, 2012

HONG KONG (AFP) ― Acclaimed Chinese novelist Geling Yan has become accustomed to reaching a wide audience both at home and abroad. But nothing could have prepared her for the attention she has received since film director Zhang Yimou picked up one of her novels and turned it into “The Flowers of War,” China’s biggest box office smash of the past 12 months.“To see my work made into such a grand piece of cinema has made me very happy, it has been quite a shock,” said Yan of the production, adapted
Victoria Beckham makes return to sophisticated form

PeopleFeb 13, 2012

NEW YORK (AP) ― She may be chic and petite, but don’t mess with Victoria Beckham. She offered a no-nonsense, tough-girl fall collection at New York Fashion Week on Sunday that she hoped would forge an “emotional attachment between the garment and the wearer.”She explained in the notes for attendants of her small runway show at the New York Public Library that she used this season to explore her interest in details and technique. The crowd did include husband David, in his Sunday-best suit.“The i